I believe the plan has been to relieve everyone else of their resource before tapping into ours. Or at least see how long you can try.
That is ridiculous. First of all there is more oil "elsewhere" than we ever imagined (see Brazils offshore discovery last week for example). Secondly, by exporting trillions of U.S. dollars to our enemies now--Saudi, Venezuelan and Iranian--we permit them to buy up all of our assets on the cheap and insure that the future will be one of slavery to foreigners.